Trip Report: Singapore Airlines business class (Part 2: FOOD)

Last month Singapore Airlines invited me to check out its brand new business class seat on a roundtrip flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. I prepared a Trip Report (part 1) about that journey here. In that post, I focused primarily on the new plane, seat and entertainment system.

This report (part 2) is more about the food and service onboard.

If you like (or are able) to sleep on planes, Singapore Air’s schedule between SFO and Hong Kong is perfect– flights in both directions depart very late at night (around 1 a.m. on the way over and about 11:30 p.m. on the back back to SFO).

Due to the late hour, the first inflight meal service on those late night flights is abbreviated– everyone of course wants to get to sleep right away. In business class, you can choose to have an elaborate service, but few passengers do- none on my flight did. I took the advice of flight attendants and chose light Asian meals in both directions– and ended up with some of the best sleep I’ve ever had on a plane. (See part 1 for more on that!)

Due to the nighttime departures, flight attendants take food and drink orders before take off so they can do a quick service, and then have everyone go to bed.

Other main courses included a crispy seared chicken thigh with pork chorizo sofrito or a warm pastrami sandwich. For dessert (which I passed on to keep it light) was a black cherry flan. There was also a cheese cart, from which I did not partake, that included camembert, roquefort and cheddar served with crackers and fruit.

After my bowl of superior soup, I nabbed a full eight hours of sleep, so I missed taking a look at any of the midflight snacks, that included three different noodle dishes (plain, tom yam or vegetarian). Also a roasted vegetable or salmon sandwich served on focaccia or a croissant with creamy chicken and tomato. There are also Hershey’s cookies and cream bars and Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies for late night snackers.

Interesting: Cheeses differ on the east and west bound flights. On this flight flight attendants offered Tomme, Manchego and bleu d’Auvergne.

Overnight snacks on the eastbound flight included seafood, plain or vegetarian noodles, a roasted Mediterranean vegetable wrap, chicken salad on ciabatta or salmon on focaccia.

After the noodle soup, I was fast asleep for six hours and awoke to breakfast.

Oh- and the movies I chose for this flight were: Entourage (not much better than a TV episode, but a fun way to pass the time). And then there was The Age of Adaline– a fantastic tear-jerker that takes place in San Francisco. Is it just me, or is everyone more easily brought to tears on flights? Must have something to do with the oxygen in the air!

Other breakfast selections included griddle pancakes with caramelized banana or poached eggs with hollandaise sauce.

Since I was already trying to adapt to California time (where it was dinner time) it was a big incongruous to have breakfast, which is why I chose the dim sum. But Singapore Airlines has that incongruity covered … see the note below.

Two options for timing of breakfast (Chris McGinnis)

Hot towels: On most flights, flight attendants offer hot towels once, or maybe twice during a long flight. On these flights, they offered nice hot scented white washcloth-like towels four times! Before AND after each meal. Nice.

While it’s difficult to improve upon Singapore Airlines’ inflight product, I’d say that it once again has raised the bar for inflight comfort and service with its new business class seat and warm, friendly and efficient inflight service.

Have you ever flown Singapore Airlines? What did you think? Share your experience below in the comments!

Editor Chris McGinnis

Trending on TravelSkills

Editorial Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program. Responses in the comments section are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.”